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Giveaway: The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting

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fair isle giveaway

Melody is our winner!

I have been cleaning up my office recently and I moved my pile of giveaway books from one shelf to another and this book ended up on top, which is reason enough to give it away this week.

The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting by Lynne Watterson is an easy-entry, step-by-step guide to getting stranded knitting, covering everything from yarn choices to working with two colors in a row, ribbing in two colors and classic fair isle patterns.

It also includes 11 patterns for things such as fingerless mitts, a beret, a bag and pillows, which you can work through to learn the concepts and design principles behind stranded knitting. If you used this book as a workbook, you would definitely get comfortable with fair isle quickly. And isn’t summer (or winter for that matter) the perfect time to learn something new?

If you want a chance to win this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, June 28. I’d love to know if you have any big plans for the coming season, wherever on earth you happen to live. We’re holding out until the end of next month, then spending what’s sure to be a fabulous week in Florida.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. Going camping next month, live in Minnesota. Otherwise spending the summer with my currently one month old till I go back to work.

  2. At the beginning of every summer, we take out a three-month membership to our local country club and swim there in the early mornings before the crowds arrive.

  4. Fair Isle an an adventure I’d love to enjoy…. The family has a couple of hurdles to jump Myself and Hubby have had gallbladder surgery 3 weeks apart… Gall bladder less …. Planning an August Camping trip, just found out our daughter has a baby due date the same weekend… May be greeting a new lil one that weekend. But for sure taking a road trip to Texas for a nephew’s wedding in November….Life is always an adventure, may take a day trip to a few wineries in the local area…. Thank you for sharing your Fair Isle adventure!!

  5. My kids are bring the grandsons for a visit! I would love to learn how to do fair isle knitting!

  6. That book souns wonderful! I am planning to finish some wips this summer and to prepare for a fall knitting retreat!

  7. No plans as of yet, it is very hot here, so we are trying to stay cool… might plan something towards the end of the season.

  8. Planning on spending the 100+ degree days inside, possibly in the basement where it’s cooler! Also hoping to go on several camping trips.

  9. I’d love to get a better understanding of fair isle. My past attempts have been less than stellar, I’m afraid. We aren’t going anywhere special this summer, but the kids and I are enjoying the weather!

    I’m vernalequinox on Ravelry!

  10. I think the hardest part is getting the tension even. That and finding the right colors.

  11. I’m going to northern Maine for a couple of days and going to Florida for a few days.

  12. I have yet to find a guide to how to change colors when knitting in the round except to carry my yarn!!

  13. Pretty low key summer here – Our biggest short term plan is to hit the pick your own strawberry fields this week.

  14. Just discovered your website and I am enjoying it very much. I love the Fair Isle Knitting book. Hope I win. My daughter and I love to try new things.

  15. No big exciting plans. I’m enjoying the local berry season and hoping not to melt in this weekend’s heatwave.

  16. I have just started doing Fair Isle and I am hooked on it. Thank you for this opportunity

  18. I plan on organizing my yarn once and for all, and getting it catalogued, since it’s a bit out of control right now. That book would come in so handy, since I’ve wanted to be able to try that style of knitting for years, and know that I have plenty of colorways to be able to make items in those patterns. It couldn’t have come along at a better time!! Thank you for a chance to win a copy!! It would really come in handy, and be a welcomed addition to my library.

Have you read?

Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four. 

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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